Rescue Missions
by Scarabbug
Summary: Usually, it’s their job to pull other folks out of disaster and chaos. Still, occasionally, even Earth’s Greatest Heroes screw up enough to warrant sounding the alarm themselves. [A series of oneshots. Summaries at the start of each chapter.]
1. Everyman

Justice League Rescue Missions.

**Chapter Summary:A random briefing before a rescue mission. When one of the Justice League's own goes missing, they tend to become… slightly protective, these days. **

**Spoilers: None, except possibly vague ones for _"Divided We Fall."_ **

* * *

Everyman.

Fire's hand was the first in the air, closely followed by Ice, then Elongated Man, then Big Barda, Mister Miracle, Dove and Hawk (after a suggestive nudge from his brother), Vigilante, Shining Knight… It became difficult to tell who's hand belonged to whom, after that, as so many were rising at the same time. His rough final count was twenty-eight in favour.

Superman blinked. 'Ah… o-kay, uh…'

The effect was impressive, and a little peculiar if not altogether unanticipated. Superman didn't appear to quite know what to make of it. All that he had actually said was "all those who wish to be included in the search, please raise your hand."

And then this.

It said something for how much the League desired action. How tired they were of months of discussion and meetings with the governmental envoys who liked to pop up these days "just to keep an eye on things", as Waller had so courteously put it. The need for _paperwork_.

Who the hell was it that had the bright idea of encouraging their people to take out _insurance_, anyway?

Or maybe it just said something about how much _he_ has imprinted on these people. How much his rather noticeable presence was missed when absent, for reasons that had nothing to do with his tendency to wear bright red and invade everyone's personal space with alarming frequency.

The League was missing one of their own. The Flash had not been seen (and therefore, has not been invading everyone else's personal space and making a general nuisance of himself) for over a week. He had not made any check ins, or shown up for any duties in that time. He'd also been notably missing from the streets of Central City. The League was concerned.

Batman knew he understood these people. As much as anyone _could_ understand super-powered mortals with tendencies towards wearing bright costumes and answering many, if not every crisis, with a fist or a kick (except possibly if their name was Dove). He comprehended their mind sets. He knew how they responded to the disappearance of one of their own. How they had responded to it ever since the incident with the Question being taken in by Cadmus. Since those days, the League had become increasingly aware of their own safety and were far more likely to "watch each others back" should an emergency arise.

He wasn't entirely certain yet whether or not that was a positive thing.

But even so, this was a little surprising.

Superman exchanged a look with Green Lantern (who was also keeping his hand the air while shrugging. No one said the Big Seven didn't count) 'I… well, alright, then, if you want to break off into—'

Bruce tilted his head up a fraction and Superman stopped talking. Batman commanded silence and attention with a _look_ in the same way Superman did with words. 'All those who also wish to be included in the search but currently have other obligations and wish to reschedule.' Batman said.

Another seventeen or so hands joined the first twenty-eight.

Superman blinked again.

It was a well known piece of information that only two people in the world were able to call upon Batman's attention by _whispering._ Superman was one of them, and that was what he was doing now, leaning across with a nudge and muttering: 'Batman, they can't _all_ reschedule.'

'I know.'

Didn't mean they wouldn't try.

The vague half-smile smile on Superman's face was highly analogous with a man known as Clark Kent. Dangerously so, for anyone perceptive enough. 'Not raising your own hand, I see.'

'I don't need to.'

Superman –No, Clark– took that answer exactly as Batman had intended him to. The vague half smile didn't leave his face.

The League members still had their hands in the air and were waiting silently. Shayera tapped her mace against her hand.

Batman had heard the term "everyman" tossed around in conversation concerning Flash since long before the League had formed (he'd always kept an eye on these people, these… beings). That was simply the way he was. He liked, it seemed, pretty much everybody who wasn't out to rule the world via whatever means nessecary, and could probably even find something he liked in those who _did_.

It wasn't a safe way to view the world, but it was Flash's way, and people liked it.

'Let me be perfectly clear, I'm not counting your vote if your _current_ schedule includes a Level Theta or higher crisis.' _Don't even try it, I'll know._

Seven of the newly risen hands fell reluctantly back to their owners' sides.

'Expanding that list to include Gamma Level threats.' Another pair of hands went down. Batman considers expanding again to include the Omega Level but opted against it. The League (most of them) weren't _that_ illogical. Still, one of the former sets of hands which had just gone down slowly started edging it's way back up again. 'I'm _looking_ at you, Dibny.'

The hand went down.

And at this point, Shayera ran out of patience and made no pretence at whispering about it (when had she ever?) 'Alright, _alright_! Hands up all those in favour of saying _screw_ the schedule, going out there and not stopping until we find who we're looking for?'

Her mace hand lifted, and was followed by many more. The hands which had fallen returned to the air, along with roughly fifty others, rising silently upwards, amongst them faces Batman woulsd have never imagined. And he _had_ imagined. Every scenario.

But now Aztec's hand was rising, with Hawkman's beside him. The Question _could_ see a conspiracy in this, but Batman doubts it, and anyway _Question's _hand is rising also. Atom Smasher doesn't even _know_ the man beyond recognition of his costume and place amongst the "Original Seven", neither do STRIPE, or Wildcat. The Creeper shouldn't have even _cared_ about anything much, but he was raising both hands (well, legs) in the air too.

Clark's smile had changed into something more like Superman's. 'Alright, I… alright. Let's see what we can do.'

Batman tilted his head again slightly and began to formulate strategies of recovery based on what information he had about the situation. All was normal. This was simply an imprinted pattern. A typical crisis followed by a typical response.

Typical where the Flash was concerned, anyway.

* * *


	2. The Flash is Wally West

**Chapter Summary: **_**The lesson is: Never leave Hawk and Flash in a team-up situation involving Hawk's brother and an underground nuclear weapons deal.**_

**Notes and homages at the end of the fic. There are a few. This particular chapter is in entirely conversation format. **

**

* * *

**

The Flash is Wally West. 

'Oh-kay, and once we've got the boring stuff over and done with we'll commence with the butt kicking and the removal of evil super villains from civilised society. Then we'll go for coffee and I'm totally ordering a pizza or ten. How's that sound?'

'_I… Well I…' _

'Hey Allstar, you cool?'

'_I. Well, that is… I just… no.' _

'Really? Wow. I couldn't tell. Seemed like you had it all under control back there.'

'_R-Really? You mean it? It would be kind of nice to have powers; this is all so big and…' _

'Sure I'm sure. As sure as Superman's pants are red, in fact. That guard-dogs-and-the-hotdog trick? I _never_ would've thought of that. Trust me on this one, kid. Just hold your place and keep doing what you're doing up there.'

'W-what about…'

'Yeah?'

'_I mean… Dove? The superhero, Dove? He's still in there and… We're dealing with that, right?' _

'Dove? Oh, he'll be fine. Don't worry about that, that's _our_ job. You just concentrate on the hydrogen bombs hidden over the other side of the building which might well explode if we don't pay attention.'

'…_Eeep.' _

'But uh... But it'll be cool and all. You and Gypsy will keep things covered. Oh, and just for added protection, Green Lantern and Booster Gold are hovering within contact range. If you think you need a hand just push the button and they'll get right to work.'

'Flash, you're making us sound like an advert for some guy's—'

'_Hawk_! Cut it_ out_, Allstar's a kid on the line! Uh… sorry, 'Star, you were saying?'

'_I… n-nothing, you, um, you were talking about the mission?' _

'Oh, _right_! Yeah, it's all standard stuff, trust me. Just think of this as a kinda initiation. I say you're not a real League member until you've been in a rescue mission. Things will all pan out smoothly.'

'_You promise?' _

'Heh, kid, you're supposed to be the one promising _me_ that.'

'_Oh… yeah. Right.' _

'So promise me now. You'll be peachy?'

'…_I'll be peachy.' _

'See, now _that's_ superhero talk. See you guys after this is all over. Say hi to Gypsy for me.'

'_Heh…A-alright. Allstar out.' _

_**Bleep.**_

'Yeeeah…Are you _done_ kiddy pep-talking the new girl now? I'd like to get something smashed up _today_ and you're _supposed_ to be the fastest guy on earth.'

'Not finished. Just done for now. The kids are alright, Hawk. They just need a few pointers to polish their style.'

'So says mister "lets-run-at-'em-at-five-gazillion-miles-an-hour-and-hit-them-hoping-they'll-fall-down"?'

'Aw, like _you_ don't do exactly the same thing.'

'Not at a _gazillion-miles-an-hour_. I have _style_.'

'Style? Heh. You crash into things like an American wrestler or something, Hawk. You box, and ram into things and… and stuff. '

'Works, doesn't it?'

'So does the _gazillion-miles-an-hour _thing. Still alive, aren't I? Lighten _up_.'

'Get my brother outta the damn Injustice Squad's Think-Tank and I might consider that.'

'We're getting there, I promise. But the bombs aren't gonna defuse themselves, once that's sorted, things will all pan out just he way we planned.'

'You know what Don would say about now right? He'd come out with some dumb comment about how plans only work until you start _using_ them?'

'Look I'm just as bored as you, okay? Probably even more. I could've run to Hawaii by now and gotten myself a coconut shake, but I didn't, didn't want you to be without company.'

'…Yeah, I really appreciate that you stuck around to bug me instead. Just like old times huh?'

'There was nothing wrong with the times.'

'Except that even then Don kept getting himself knee-deep in crap by trying to _talk_ his way out of a deadly situation.'

'Call me crazy, but I don't thin even Don would've tried to talk to the terrorists, Hank.'

'And here I was thinking you _knew_ us better than that.'

'Hey, that's not—'

'_Team A to Team C, come in.' _

'Uh, wait a sec, I've gotta take this. You've reached oh-one-eight-one S.H.E.R.O, _Fastest Man Alive_, at your service Gypsy.'

'_Nice to hear you too, Flash. We have target insight. Team A's operation is commencing in one minute. We've found Dove in the left wing of the building close to your current location, guards present.' _

'You're sure it's him?'

'_How many superheroes do you know who get referred to as "the freaking pacifist quoting Franklin in room thirteen"_?'

'Ohh. Yeah, that sounds like him alright. He's probably talked half them into laying down their weapons by now.'

'_We should be so lucky, Flash. Still, it's definitely him, and there have probably been some interrogations recently. There's a certain level of security surrounding his location but nothing out of place, you should be able to pass it simply enough, provide you avoid the guards.'_

'Gotcha. And your end?'

'_I should be able to phase through many of their defences. Allstar's still a little nervous. She should be able to handle it, though. We going to station her at the west exit doors to catch any runners. I expect there'll be a few.' _

'Figured. Tell her when we get through this she's totally coming for consolation-coffee with us. We'll show her the great sights and sounds of Texas.'

'_She says she's already _from_ Texas.' _

'So? We'll show her again. It's always more fun doing these things with friends.'

'_Heh. Well, we're moving in three. Wonder Woman says sold your positions until she sends the signal.' _

'Gotcha, Scotty. That's just enough time for me to go grab some fries. You want anything from China Town?'

'_Ah… no thank you, Flash.' _

'Meh, more for me. I'm out.'

_**Bleep. **_

'…Man, he's gonna be pissed about that.'

'Huh? Pissed about what?'

'He's in _Room Thirteen_; it's a number of entropy or some garbage like that. Bad karma.'

'Riiight. Well, we found him and now all that's left to do is bust up the guards, take down the nuclear smuggling ring and get him out of there. So you can stop worrying about him now because everything's under control.'

'…Who's worrying?'

'You are. Anyway, it's not like Wonder Woman doesn't have everything tamed. She's… you know, Wonder Woman. She's got our backs. And Gypsy and Allstar are no heavy hitters but then again, they won't even _see—_'

'Uh, Wally? I _know_ the mission specs, who's what, whose where and all that, okay? Go… remind someone who doesn't.

'You mean to say you know the _rescue_ mission specs. Involving your brother. Your pacifist anti-military brother. Who is currently in a locked cell with very much _not_ anti-military individuals, while we just sit around outside of the building instead of just busting in there and taking him back… Actually since some of those guys in there _are_ Ex-Injustice Gang members I can't be totally sure about the anti-military thing, but they're _still_ creepy super villain guys with weapons and I'm not _that_ dumb.'

'Man, since you're one of the original seven, I'm totally giving you a chance to shut up first.'

'Oh c'mon, don't play _Mr. American Tough Guy_. It's me!'

'Yeah, I know, I can _see_ you, _hear _you and_ feel _youvibrating through my freaking costumeeven from ten feet away.'

'…Yeah, I think you missed my point. It's _me. "_Me" being _The Flash_? Also known as Kid Flash, also _not_ known as good ol' Wally West from Blue Valley Elementary who you met while stopping some thugs from shoving your brother's head in a toilet? You _know_ me. I _get_ what possible, painful scenarios are going on inside your head right now. GL does this kind of thing with me all the time.'

'Look, history aside we do— wait, GL does _what_ with you all the time?'

'You know. Blow a gasket at me for going something stupid, whack me over the head and call me an idiot, when what he really means is '_what happened to you, are you okay and do I need to hit someone_?"'

'That is _so_ not what he means.'

'Says you. GL's way tougher than you. _Real _men are man enough to hug people.'

'…Okay, before I was irritated, now I'm just plain disturbed.'

'Whatever, it's better than you being Mr. Overprotective-brother-of-a-guy-who-can-totally-take-care-of-himself-anyway.'

'Spoken like someone who is completely blanking the head-plus-toilet issue.'

'Ahah! So you _do_ remember.'

'Yeah, I remember. I remember smacking you one in the jaw for not telling us who you _were_ when we joined the League. I remember that just two minutes ago, you were acting like this whole damn thing is just some stupid mini-Leaguer's _introduction ceremony _when it's supposed to be a rescue mission.'

'I didn't know it was you! And Allstar's okay, you need to give her a break. She lost her original powers yonks ago and it took a lot of guts for her to get back into this game without them. We can't _all_ be steamrollers.'

'She needs to get a goddamn grip, she's _supposed_ to be a hero and we're not her freaking babysitters! And for your information, _West_, it's not like we kept the Hawk and Dove thing all hush-hush from everyone, unlike _some_ tightwad secret-identity goofs I know.'

'Oh, c'mon, cut her some slack. And _me_, for that matter. You haven't been _doing_ this as long as I have, how was _I _supposed to know that Donald and Hank Hall were now the magical personifications of Order and Chaos in human form?'

'…?'

'I…Okay, _okay_, so maybe it _should've_ been obvious. But it wasn't.'

'Sure. Okay, fine, whatever.'

'We're dropping the issue now. And _you're_ gonna stop worrying about him. Because in just over half an hour? This'll all be over. We'll be back at the Metro Tower, have a quick check up, I'll be making sure Allstar's Type-A personality thing hasn't given her a cardiac arrest, and then we're all taking her for iced mochas at this nice little backwater place in Texas. It'll be fun. That's half an hour from now, man, trust me on this.'

'I'll drink iced mocha when hell freezes over. Wimp.'

'Hey, so _what_ if I like my coffee chilled, with ice and chocolate sprinkles? Real men cannot only hug, but they can _also_ take their coffee _cold._'

'You are so very sad.'

'You know that's exactly what Shayera said once, and I know _she_ still likes me. And I proved her totally wrong, too. Just you wait, that one's sure gonna come back to bite'cha.'

'Whatever. I just want you to know I'm blaming you if this all falls thouh?

'Uh… okay, not that I'm entirely clued up or anything, but why are you blaming be for a mission that I totally didn't organize.'

Well maybe if you'd told us earlier who you are, idiot, I wouldn't have been so reluctant to let _you_ take on the goddamn freaks who nabbed Dove in the first place.'

'…So in other words you didn't true me because you didn't know who I was, and if you'd known I was Wally, you would've let go of me sooner and let me in there?'

'Is _that _what I'm saying?'

'…Aw,_ Hank._'

'"_Aw Hank" _what? This isn't damn funny, Wally. Because if we _don't_ get to him in time then— Guh!'

'Shut _up_.'

'…'

'…'

'…Wally, what the fuck was that?'

'It was a _hug_, Hank. You may have heard of them? Hey, I understand if new experiences confuse you, just try to repress the sensation of defensive rage currently building up in your—'

'Shut _up_. I know what it _was_. I mean why was it directed at me and why at this particular time and how many times am I gonna have to _punch_ you for it?'

'Hey, you love me really. And anyway, didn't you listen to what I was just saying about _real_ men?'

'…Oh, for crying out loud.'

'Heh.'

**BOOM**!

'…Uh.'

**KABOOM!**

'What was _that_?'

'…Ah, well I could be wrong, but I think it sounded like a small explosion. Likely not one of the Hydrogen ones, seeing as we're… you know, still _here_ but yeeeah. _Big_. And from the wrong end of the compound.'

**KRAKABOOM**!

'…There's another one.'

'Oh, _shit_, Don!'

'Wait a moment, what the— Hank, where're you going?'

'Where do you _think_ I'm going? Let go already!'

'Yeeeah not gonna do that, buddy, I… Jeeze, Hank! Seriously, not that I can believe that I'm trying to be the mature one here, bu—'

'Wally let me go or I swear to _Chaos_ I'll deck you!'

'And let you run in there? No freaking wa—'

'_Flash? Gypsy to Flash, come in!'_

'Haven't gone –ngh!– anywhere!'

'_We uh… we have a situation.' _

'Oh really, Gypsy? What tipped ya off? The noisy explosions coming from the end of the compound where Dove is supposed to be or the acrid smell of burning—'

'_Flash, I think we need to _focus_!'_

'…Oh. Yeah, hi to you too, Princess. So, the _building's on fire_ and I'm holding back Hawk. What the hell do we do now?'

'_Hold your position; don't move until we say. Your objective—'_

'Might well be on _fire_ by nowWally, tell her we're going in!'

'_Flash, just tell him that your objective is safe for the next two minutes at least, we're trying to deal with a—' __**KRAKABOOM**__ '—Small explosive _outbreak_ here, somebody must've tipped them off, there are _snipers_, damn it to Tartarus!'_

'You call this a _small _outbreak? Diana, the back windows of the third warehouse just blew out!'

'Wally, tell her we're going in, that's _Don_ in there!'

'Hold your ground_, Flash, for Hera's sakes you can't blow the rest of our cover! Allstar's panicking and you're our last backup! Just two minutes more and you're in to carry on as normal!' _

'Two more minutes is a looong time for me, Diana.'

'_Just hold it, wait for the signal!'_

_**Bleep. **_

'Oh, great. Just _fucking_ great, I— damn it to _hell_, will you let _go_, I'm not _going_ anywhere!'

'You seriously need to calm down, this doesn't change our part of the plan, we're still getting him out of there, I already reserved places at that diner.'

'For fucks sakes we're not _eighteen_ anymore, West! This is a _battle_ with a hidden nuclear stockpile at the centre of it and I need to go and bash some skulls in _right_ now before one of them decides to take the imminent chaos out on my _brother_!'

'I _know_ but we're just gonna get him into even more trouble if we rush in there, I'm not the one who's supposed to be thinking of these kid of things, Hank!'

'Oh, great, so this is a job for Superman, Wally we're already screwed either way, the mission's blown!'

'Well it might not be—'

**KRAKARAKABOOM! **

'…Oh-_kay_, so it's blown.'

'Look either come or don't, Flash. I'll see you in there. _If_ you show up and don't just _hide from us_ again, that is!'

'Will you just _wait_, come _back_ already, you can't— Aw, _hell_. GL? Green Lantern! John, are you on the comm. line?!'

'_Wh—Flash, watch the names! What is it?'_

'I… Yeah I need to talk to you, like right now.'

'_No you _don't_, Flash; we're in the middle of a battle here!' _

'I know, but I have to say this.'

'_Flash, not _now_.'_

'Seriously!'

'_I… fine, what?' _

'Uh… well I just want to apologise for every single occasion on which I've made some kind of quip, joke or pointless statement that didn't _seem_ pointless at the time, to distract anyone in the middle of a battle. I'm talking any time here. Ever. And that estimate includes all the times I've made the "look out behind you" jokes or commented on costume designs or tried to pull on Superman's cape.'

'…_Kid, what the hell?' _

'I mean it! No matter when or why I said it, I'm apologising for it. That includes every joke made to you in the twenty five minutes before we came out here. _And_ every joke made while you were scouting-out in the javelin, and every time I ran into something without thinking first, and every interrupted dinner with Mari or… or Shayera or whoever it is at the moment, right? I can see my lack of judgement now, and even though I'm probably going to forget this in an hour and get right back to quipping with you, I _still_ wanna apologise for the present! That cool?'

'_Uh… yes?' _

'Great! I really appreciate that! Now hang on a sec.'

'_Wally, wait! What're you _doing_?' _

'Well I've gotta go drag Hawk outta the line of fire before he does something _really _stupid, blows our cover and getsusallkilled soseeyabackattheMetrotowerbye!'

'_Flash I—!' _

**

* * *

**

'…Ohhh boy. I'm gonna have to hit somebody again aren't I?'

'Uh, are you talking to me or yourself?'

'No, Booster, I'm not talking to you _or_ myself. Call Wonder Woman, we're gonna have to go to Plan B.'

'Aw, man, I _hate_ when that happens.'

* * *

**Notes:**

**1) Allstar is not an OC, but a character from JLU comics'. She featured in a one-shot story entitled "**_**Local Hero**_**" and was given the powers of flight and energy projectile beams by a "Star Charm" she found after an asteroid crashed. Her character was similar, though not identical, to Stargirl. She lost her powers at the end of the story, but was still given a League membership Card (there's a card?) by Batman. I'm not sure whether she exists in the actual comics continuity. I needed a superhero-in-training to play a part. She got it. **

**2) I have this idea in my head that Hank and Don are pretty much "Public Secret" kind of superheroes in their DCAU incarnations (though I think the comic book versions were totally secret –they couldn't risk their dad finding out, after all). People know, here and there. They don't go around telling everyone they're Hawk and Dove, but they're not entirely huge about the secrecy thing, either. They **_**did**_** transform in a very public bar in their JLU episode and Hank yelled Don's name right in front of Wonder Woman near the end of aforementioned episode. **

**3) I have no idea where the concept of Hawk and Dove already knowing Flash prior to their joining the league came from, but I believe I was inspired by another fic which stuck them together, and their ages could, theoretically, be considered close to each other. Plus the idea of sticking Hank and Wally in a conversation together was just too tempting to resist. **


End file.
